Though mining, pastoralism and tourism have modified the North West it is still today a harsh and demanding environment. When Frank Gregory first ventured into the area in 1861 the map was blank and the country unknown to Europeans. At the end of his explorations he had opened up a huge tract of country that just over a century later would generate great wealth for Australia. His expeditions was to be one of the longest, most arduous and most rewarding in Australia.

The vastness of the region meant that exploring expeditions in the North West were major undertakings.
.